By Zaid Sabah, Faisal Ali and Daniel Khalili-Tari
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, said the US has “constantly demonstrated its complete contempt for genuine peace and security in West Asia”, warning regional countries to draw “clear lessons” from the US-Israel war on Iran.
More than 20 million people are expected in Tehran for the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the start of the US-Israel war on Iran.
Ceremonies and funeral processions for Khamenei will start on Saturday in Tehran, and end on July 9, with the former supreme leader laid to rest in his hometown of Mashhad.
Iran’s state broadcaster aired a statement from the country’s military command, stating that vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz must adhere to routes designated by the Iranian armed forces or face a “forceful response”.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reports that Israeli jets carried out raids in southern Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil district and targeted a hospital in the town of Nabatieh al-Fawa.
UNICEF warns 100,000 children in Lebanon risk missing school year
More than 100,000 children in Lebanon could miss out on school this year unless classrooms damaged during recent fighting are urgently repaired, the UN children’s agency has warned.
A nationwide assessment carried out in June by Lebanon’s Education Ministry, with UNICEF’s support, found that 340 schools were damaged in the recent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, including 17 destroyed completely.
Lebanon’s new school year begins in September.
The worst-hit areas include Nabatieh, South Lebanon, Bekaa, Baalbek-Hermel, Beirut, and Mount Lebanon, according to UNICEF.
Amal Movement official meets Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf
A senior member of Lebanon’s Shia-affiliated Amal Movement political party has met Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Tehran, along with other Lebanese officials.
The Lebanese delegation and Ghalibaf discussed matters of mutual interest and emphasised the solidarity between Iran and Lebanon, as well as their respective parliaments, according to Iranian media.
The Lebanese delegation travelled to Iran to attend Khamenei’s funeral, which will begin on Saturday.
Led by Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the Amal Movement is a key ally of Lebanon’s other major Shia party – and armed group – the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Oil prices edge up ahead of US holiday weekend, optimism around talks
Crude oil prices increased slightly on Friday, before an extended holiday weekend in the US and as cautious optimism continued over diplomatic efforts to end the US-Israel war on Iran.
Brent crude oil futures rose 17 cents, or 0.24 percent, to $72.10 per barrel as of 01:55 GMT, while West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) gained 14 cents, or 0.20 percent, to $68.83 per barrel.
How US-Iran war may push Gulf countries to ‘diversify’ security alliances
By Ali Harb
Countries in the Gulf region are likely to accelerate the push to diversify their security partnerships after the US-Israel war on Iran, analysts say, as the region grapples with the lasting impact of the conflict.
As Tehran and Washington hold talks towards a lasting agreement, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations – which came under Iranian attacks during the war – are expanding their relationships amid uncertainty about the future.
Pakistani interior minister arrives in Iran for Khamenei’s funeral
Pakistan’s interior minister has arrived in Iran in advance of the funeral of slain former Supreme Leader Khamenei.
Upon arriving, Seyyed Mohsin Naqvi described Iran as Pakistan’s “second home”.
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said officials from more than 100 countries would attend Khamenei’s funeral, which starts on Saturday.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also due to attend the ceremonies.
Tens of millions of Shia Muslims live in Pakistan, accounting for up to 20 percent of the population.
Many viewed Khamenei as their spiritual leader, and his assassination triggered protests across Pakistan, during which at least 23 people were killed.
Amid funeral preparations, Khamenei’s killing ‘confirms’ Islamic Republic’s founding narrative
By Faisal Ali
The killing of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s second supreme leader, in US-Israeli strikes early in the war confirms the origin stories of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Nader Hashemi, an academic and Middle East expert, has told Al Jazeera.
“The killing of the supreme leader perfectly fits the Islamic Republic’s narratives,” Hashemi said, describing Tehran’s official view of itself in conflict with the US and Israel in defence of Iran’s interests.
“He died a martyr, fighting the US, and standing for his values, which reinforces what the republic was initially founded to do,” he said.
Hashemi said Khamenei’s funeral, which begins this weekend, could boost Iran’s soft power regionally, as it is seen as a state whose leaders themselves paid the ultimate price to stand against the US and Israel.
Such sacrifice comes at a sensitive moment regionally, after Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
“This is a golden opportunity to build on that sympathy,” Hashemi said.
Israel bulldozes 500 olive trees near Jenin as harvest nears
Israel has bulldozed at least 500 olive trees owned by Palestinians near Jenin in the occupied West Bank, just months before the olive harvest.
At least 120,000 olive trees have been damaged, uprooted or poisoned in the occupied West Bank since 2020.
Our colleagues at AJ+ have more:
Get instant alerts and updates based on your interests. Be the first to know when big stories happen.
Iran places highly symbolic red flag of Imam Reza Shrine over Khamenei coffin
A red flag from the Imam Reza Shrine in Iran’s Mashhad city has been placed over the coffin of assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The gesture comes as mourning and farewell ceremonies have begun in Iran in advance of Khamenei’s burial at the shrine on July 9, following his killing in a US-Israeli strike at the start of the war in February.
Nader Hashemi, associate professor of Middle East and Islamic politics at Georgetown University, told Al Jazeera that the red flag symbolises the sacrifice of Hussein ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, a revered figure in Shia Islam who was killed in the 7th century in the Battle of Karbala.
“His death and martyrdom in the battle of Karbala is a significant moral reference point for Shia Muslims, and so the Islamic Republic is trying to make a comparison with the death of the supreme leader in an American and Israeli assassination,” Hashemi said.
Israelis are holding protests on the 1,000th day since the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel to demand the government hold an investigation into the security failings of October 7, 2023.
Prada is facing boycott calls after appointing Palestinian singer Saint Levant as a brand ambassador.
Published On 2 Jul 20262 Jul 2026
In 1,000 days since October 7, 2023, Gaza lies in ruins, Board of Peace falters and Israel expands control of enclave.
Published On 2 Jul 20262 Jul 2026
Israel has rejected a UN Commission report that says its army deliberately targets Palestinian children.
Published On 2 Jul 20262 Jul 2026
Despite Iranian attacks, several GCC states continue to speak with Tehran in effort to mend ties and forge cooperation.
Published On 2 Jul 20262 Jul 2026
Mr.BadGuy
Publisher
Mr.BadGuy
Publisher
These soldiers are from a country whose president is a Jew Zelensky. Orthodox churches are also being destroyed in this country. Synagogues are not touched. Surprisingly, it turns out that Jews get along well with the Bandera Nazis.